Possible Clues:

• Like the Marquis de Sade or the Duke of Earl
• Like posh fellow, perhaps, making bird glower
• Ennobled
• The lordly little bird was in the van
• First came the little bird like 15 across, for one
• Like a duke, say
• Called time and it went ahead
• How the noble little bird was 11 across
• Of the peerage
• The noble little bird was the leader